Sun Moon Stars
by Gorillaz Fan
Summary: Murdoc, 2-D and Cyborg Noodle are inhabiting the island of Plastic Beach. They are being haunted by the being known as the Boogieman. Meanwhile, Noodle and Russel embark on their own separate journeys to join their fellow band members on Plastic Beach...
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE: STYLO

The rolling, thundering waves crashed against the shore of Plastic Beach, sending spray splashing violently into the windows of Murdoc Manor. The manor was painted bright pink and rose imposingly up from the rocks, which themselves were formed out of countless items of sea garbage. Murdoc Manor is the current home and recording studio of the Gorillaz, after they abandoned Kong Studios. Also known as Point Nemo, Plastic Beach is the most isolated location in the entire world.

Murdoc Niccals was more painfully aware of this now than he was when he and his fellow band members had packed up everything and left civilisation. He turned and glared at the Cyborg Noodle, who was standing obediently by the door to Murdoc's master bedroom.

'Someone's whippin' up a storm, Cy',' Murdoc growled under his breath, 'and it's not Mother Nature.'

'Que entonces?' Murdoc groaned as sparks crackled from the dog-ends of wires that hung from Cyborg Noodle's broken hand.

'I really have to get you fixed, don't I? Piece of junk! Can't you go to an English mode or something?'

'yEs?' Cyborg Noodle asked, its voice distorted and grating.

'It's all the work of the Boogieman, iffn' you asks me,' Murdoc growled, his red eyes gazing suspiciously out at the enraged ocean.

'bOoGiEmAn?' Cyborg Noodle crackled. 'dOeS nOt CoMpUtE.'

'You know,' Murdoc waved his hand irritably. 'Dark, scary, ancient deity, lurks in little kiddies' wardrobes an' stuff. Y'see, I did a deal with him. He'd do a few little favours for me, an' in return I'd hand over a few people's souls. But I didn't hold my end of the deal an' now he's out to get me.'

'aDdED bOoGiEmAn To MeMoRy HaRdRiVe,' Cyborg Noodle marched over to Murdoc. 'wHaT dO yOu PlAn To Do AbOuT this BoOgIeMaN?'

'If that son of a bitch can track me down to the most isolated place on this earth,' Murdoc growled, as he took a drag from his stubby cigarette end, 'he can track me down anywhere. Go get ol' Stylo fired up, Cy'. We've got some big fish to fry!'

'yOu WaNt Me To InStAlL tHe OvEn In ThE sUbMaRiNe?'

'No, you idiot!' Murdoc shoved Cyborg Noodle out into the corridor. 'The sooner I locate the real Noodle, the better! Iffn' I didn't need a bassist, I'd turn you inter' scrap metal the first chance I got.'

'sHaLl I wAkE uP sTuArT PoT, mAsTeR?' Cyborg Noodle asked, pausing in the doorway to the garage.

'Nah, we don't need that stew-pot gettin' in the way.' Murdoc snatched up the sailor's cap from his desk and placed it at a jaunty angle on his head. 'I'll show that Boogieman what Niccals are made of!'

Murdoc carefully drew a rifle out from under the desk. Slinging it over one shoulder, he followed the Cyborg Noodle into the garage. At one end of the garage was a heavy steel gate, beyond which was the underwater tunnel that led out of Plastic Beach and into the ocean. At the centre of the garage, held upright by iron pincers, was the shark-shaped submarine (that can turn into a car) named Stylo.

Whistling in awe, Murdoc strode up to the battered vessel and patted it lovingly. 'I've had this baby for years now. Me ole dad gave it to me, and it in turn had been gifted to him by my grandfather. It was Hitler's very own, he and his bimbo used to cruise the oceans in this.'

Cyborg Noodle's head popped out from a hatch at the front of Stylo. It held a drill in one hand. 'tHe VeHiClE iS sEaWoRtHy.'

'We'll leave now. I'd rather tackle the Boogieman out in the open ocean than here on Plastic Beach.' Murdoc spat out his cigarette and adjusted his rifle. He then agilely clambered up the side of the submarine and jumped down through the hatch.

The cabin was cramped, the enormous array of navigational instruments leaving barely any room for two moth-eaten chairs. Sliding into the pilot's seat, Murdoc snapped at Cyborg Noodle, 'Go shut the hatch!'

Once the hatch was shut and Cyborg Noodle had taken its seat, Murdoc pulled a lever that made the iron clamps fall away from the sides of the submarine. With a sputtering creak, Stylo landed on the ground. Gritting his teeth, Murdoc pressed a large red button on a dashboard above his head. The tunnel gate swung open and the sea poured into the garage.

'It's gonna take ages for the water to get drained out,' Murdoc muttered to himself, as he pulled back a well-worn lever hard and kicked the acceleration pedals.

With a deafening shriek, the intricate mechanisms of the submarine roared into life and Stylo shot out of the garage and down the sloping tunnel like an arrow from a bow. Within seconds the walls of the tunnel slipped past them and all that remained was the mysterious blue reaches of the ocean.

Murdoc allowed himself a rare smile. The result was rather snaggletoothed and yellow, but it was the thoughts behind it that counted. He loved the ocean; it was the one place where he really felt at home and completely secure. The eerie blue-green stillness was punctured here and there by a shoal of fishes or an occasional squid. Stylo cruised through the water, leaving a foamy trail in its wake. Murdoc glanced surreptitiously across at the Cyborg Noodle. He couldn't fathom how anything, even a robot, couldn't see any beauty in the ocean.

'What do you think of the view, Cy'?'

'iT iS a ViEw,' Cyborg Noodle replied after a pause.

'I mean, how does it make you feel?' Murdoc persisted, keeping one eye on the blue ahead.

'eRERROR213411010100110+++TYPE5REBOOT+++'

'Be that way.'

After several minutes, Murdoc decided that it was time to travel up to the surface. He stopped the submarine and put into ascend mode. As Stylo rose quickly up towards the surface, Murdoc glimpsed the glittering pink form of what appeared to be a jellyfish.

'A Superfast Jellyfish!' Murdoc gasped. 'Now that is a sight to see.'

Then Stylo crashed through the foamy breakers and appeared on the surface. Cutting off the engine, Murdoc stood up and opened the hatch. Moonlight streamed into the cabin, illuminating every faded piece of vintage equipment down to the very last detail. Murdoc swung up onto the top of the vessel, steadying himself against the periscope. The ocean was barely a metre below him, and Stylo was bobbing sickeningly in the stormy ebb.

'Aw shit!' Murdoc murmured, as a wave nearly sent him over the side of the submarine. Sweeping back his now soaked hair from his eyes, he unclipped the spyglass that hung from a thong across his chest.

He put the spyglass to his eye and surveyed the grey sea around him. There was nothing in sight, except for the distant pile of junk that was Plastic Beach and the more local barnacle-clad rock known as Melancholy Hill. The wind was threatening to turn the choppy waves into a tsunami. Gripping the periscope tightly, Murdoc bellowed out, 'I know you're out there, you bastard! So show yourself!'

A sudden movement at the top of nearby Melancholy Hill caught his eye. 'Huh? What's that?'

Magnified by the spyglass, he could just make out a stooped, dark figure crouched at the summit of the hill. Its shapeless robes flapped in the wind, its eyes blazing bright red against the muted colours of the stormy atmosphere. It straightened up when it caught sight of the submarine, black smoke billowing out from it as its ragged cloak unfolded.

Murdoc pulled the rifle from its sling and aimed it at the macabre figure that stood atop Melancholy Hill. 'The Boogieman!'


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO: SUPERFAST JELLYFISH

Deep in the bowels of Murdoc Manor was a subterranean cave, metres deep under water. Built over the slowly lapping water was a series of planks and walkways, held up by strong beams attached to the all but invisible floor. Lying on the largest of these platforms was what looked like a gigantic robot carcass with wires hanging all about the place. In the midst of the sparking ruination a long-limbed, blue-haired figure could be seen. It appeared to be thumping the robotesque object and swearing colourfully. 2-D, born Stuart Pot, had made this cave his home.

'Nearly there, nearly there,' 2-D muttered to himself, as he beat a warped metal panel with a hammer. 'If Murdoc can completely renovate an ancient hunk of Nazi technology then I can make a perfectly good submarine out of assorted pieces of metal waste!'

Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, an enormous shape zoomed through the water as if propelled by twenty thousand turbo engines. An inquisitive seagull landed on the thing's massive head, gripping the skin tightly with its claws. The seagull blinked in confusion. The thing was human-shaped and seemed to be wearing clothes, yet the size...It couldn't possibly be a human.

But then again, the seagull thought, peering disdainfully at the oozing chemical wastes and garbage that littered the now pitiful ocean. Stranger things have happened.

Murdoc fired three shots at the flickering, wraith-like apparition that stood at the top of Melancholy Hill. Hissing, the Boogieman threw itself to one side. A bullet shredded off the corner of the nightmarish creature's cloak, while the other two shells fell downwards into the sea.

Cursing, Murdoc reloaded his rifle. The Boogieman drew itself to its feet, its slitted, flame-like eyes boring into Murdoc's own. It cackled soundlessly, its body beginning to vibrate. Before Murdoc's incredulous eyes, a green glow began to radiate from the Boogieman's body. All of a sudden, the Boogieman's eyes widened and it threw out its arms. Green light engulfed the surrounding ocean, blinding Murdoc.

Murdoc threw up his arms to protect himself from the eerie light, dropping his rifle into the ocean in the process. He sank to his knees as a low buzz filled his head and began to consume him. Three words echoed through his mind: SUN MOON STARS.

After an indeterminable amount of time, Murdoc realised that the buzzing in his head had subsided. He slowly opened his eyes. The green light had gone and the waters were still for the first time that night. The terrifying form of the Boogieman had gone. Melancholy Hill was deserted.

Relaxing, Murdoc realised that Cyborg Noodle's head was sticking out of the hatch, staring at him expectantly. He rubbed his head. 'What do you want, you hunk a' junk?'

'i CaMe Up HeRe To ChEcK oN yOu. yOu WeRe FaSt AsLeEp.'

'What?'

'i SaId YoU wErE fAsT…'

'Yes, yes, I heard what you said. Did you reboot okay?'

'eR…i DiD rEbOoT. dEfInE 'oKaY'.'

'Wait a mo',' Murdoc snapped, holding up a finger. 'You said you found me asleep…does that mean the encounter with the Boogieman wasn't real?'

'i CoUlDn'T sAy,' Cyborg Noodle asserted.

'Well, whatever the case,' Murdoc shrugged, lowering himself down the hatchway and into the submarine, 'the son-of-a-bitch has gone now. Where's the crack?'

Cyborg Noodle tilted its head to one side. After a few moments of thought, it cracked its mechanical knuckles. 'yOu WaNt ThAt CrAcK?'

'No, no, no!' Murdoc groaned as he sat down heavily in the pilot's seat. 'You know…like crack, that you use.'

'dOeS nOt CoMpUtE.'

'Just forget 'bout it, okay?' Murdoc growled, as he began steering the submarine back beneath the ocean.

It was only a matter of time before Stylo was journeying up the tunnel and back into Plastic Beach. Murdoc carefully inched the submarine down into the clamps, then pushed the button that closed the tunnel gate. He then pulled a lever, and the water that flooded the garage was sucked out through grills set into the floor.

Once the room was fully drained, Murdoc clambered out of the submarine and gasped. A loud, metallic hammering was echoing through the garage. He spun around to face the Cyborg Noodle. 'What's that?'

Cyborg Noodle appeared to ponder that for a few moments. Then it said, 'iT's CoMiNg FrOm ThE cAvE, mAsTeR.'

'The cave?' Murdoc roared, racing out of the garage and throwing himself into an elevator. 'What on earth is that Stu-Pot doing down there?'

As Murdoc began the descent in the elevator, the banging and crashing increased dramatically in volume. When he finally arrived on one of the cave's suspended platforms, he could barely see a thing through the thick clouds of fetid black smoke. Backing against the wall, Murdoc coughed violently. He peered blearily through the swathes of smoke and dust. A vague outline of something skinny jumping up and down on something big could just be seen.

But then the smoke blew away in a sudden breeze and a bright pink and blue light filled the chamber. Murdoc gawped at the sight before his eyes. A gigantic robotic THING with writhing robotic tentacles and thousands of tiny bulbs giving it a pink-blue colour. A tiny sailor's cap rested on its head. The vessel was a spitting image of the Superfast Jellyfish Murdoc had seen earlier that day in the sea. Visible inside the built-in chamber in the jellyfish's head was a familiar blue-haired fiend, gripping the steering mechanisms with his gangly arms.

'Look, Murdoc, I built myself my own submarine!'

'2-DDDDDDDDDD!'

The immense object, the seagull now fathomed, must be on its strange way for Plastic Beach. It was the only landmass anywhere around this part of the ocean, and the humanish giant powering through the water wasn't the only one to turn up at Plastic Beach just recently.

The underwater giant wasn't the only individual on its way to Plastic Beach. Far, far away, a burning cruise ship was slowly sliding into the water; the gold lettering proclaiming the ship the 'M Harriet' was just visible. Heading speedily away from the shipwreck was a little lifeboat. Its sole occupant appeared to be a young woman with purple hair.

The woman gazed up at the sun. After a few moments of consideration, she turned the lifeboat due east and began her journey. Far above her, the planes circled in for a second attack…


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE: ON MELANCHOLY HILL

'That heap of crap's a submarine?' Murdoc cackled, diving out of the way as the Superfast Jellyfish machine wildly lurched in his direction. 'You seem to have lost control of the vessel, iffn' you asks me.'

'No shit!' 2-D muttered from the cockpit of his bizarre contraption. 'The Jellyfish is experiencing a few technical difficulties at the moment, but that's nothing that can't be fixed…'

The Jellyfish teetered off the edge of the raised walkway, to then fall over the side and into the water with a loud splash. Murdoc was almost doubled over with laughter. 'Mate, I think that's more than just technical difficulties. Since when have you been an inventor, anyway?'

'I took an online course in engineering,' 2-D proclaimed, as the Jellyfish bobbed to the surface. 'This was just a test run, really.'

The top of the submersible's head swung open, and 2-D climbed out of the craft and onto the walkway. Murdoc shook his head. 'What else can the thing do?'

'It can hover and fly a short distance. It can also protect me against my enemies, namely you.'

Murdoc casually reached out and pushed his fellow band member off the walkway and back into the water. 'Well, keep at it then. But make sure to clean up all this mess here, and if any of this stinkin' smoke gets upstairs, I'll throttle your scrawny neck!'

Once Murdoc had departed, 2-D paddled over to the Jellyfish and hauled himself up its side. Sighing, he leaned back against the submarine's periscope and whistled a forlorn tune.

'When I have the Jellyfish fully up and running, I'll come and look for you, Noodle. I'll find you, if it's the last thing I do!'

Sighing, Noodle threw aside her oar and flopped down against the side of the small, inflatable boat. It had been countless hours since she'd made her escape from the burning wreck of the M Harriet and taken the package that the Captain had entrusted to her. The very same package that the planes were after…

Noodle carefully opened her waterproof rucksack and drew out the brown paper package that was the cause of all her trouble. She pondered what on Earth the package could contain that would cause so much bother? But the Captain had told her to only open it when she got to Plastic Beach. Shaking her head, Noodle gazed at the package for a few more moments before slipping it back inside her bag.

A droning noise made her glance up at the sky. Three planes in arrow formation were rapidly streaking across the sky towards her. So she hadn't lost them after all….

'Anata wa, boru o saisei suru teino o shitaidesu ka?' Noodle sneered, picking up the AK-47 from the bottom of the inflatable boat.

The morning was bright, the yellow orb sending light patterns dancing across the still surface of the ocean. Stylo bobbed at anchor at the base of Melancholy Hill, while two figures tramped up the side of the mountain. One was short and had sparks crackling around its joints; while the other was tall and gangly with glaring red eyes.

'sO wHaT aRe We DoInG hErE, mAsTeR?' Cyborg Noodle enquired, fixing Murdoc with its unblinking gaze. Its eyes were deep and black like pitch; one could almost feel that to stare into those eyes would mean the death of them.

'I told you, you lousy son-of-a-bitch,' Murdoc muttered out the side of his mouth. 'I need to find some evidence that the Boogieman was up here at all last night and I didn't dream it.'

'i ThOuGhT yOu WeRe TrYiNg To EsCaPe ThE bOoGiEmAn?'

'Well, yeah,' Murdoc conceded, whistling as he pulled himself up to the top of Melancholy Hill. The view from the summit was marvellous, the rocky outcrop giving a clear view of the surrounds: namely, a wide expanse of glistening blue ocean. 'Wow, ain't this a choice view?'

'yOu WeRe SaYiNg?'

'Oh yeah…well, I think it'd be better that I track that Boogey-Bastard down now and get our little confrontation over and done with. It'll be much more in my favour if I'm the hunter, as apposed to the hunted.'

Cyborg Noodle's coal-black eyes swept over the craggy recesses of Melancholy Hill. 'wHaT sOrT Of EvIdEnCe ArE wE lOoKiNg FoR?'

Murdoc shrugged. 'I dunno. Just something to point out whether he was here at all, or to indicate where he went to.'

'lIkE tHiS?' Cyborg Noodle asked, holding up a shred of black cloth.

'Where did you find this?' Murdoc growled, snatching the cloth from Cyborg Noodle. 'It looks like it could be from the Boogieman's cloak!'

'iT wAs UnDeR a RoCk, MaStEr.'

Murdoc held the piece of black fabric up to his nose and inhaled deeply. 'Smells like…bubblegum…'

Murdoc looked at Cyborg Noodle in confusion. 'bUbBlEgUm…?'

'Bubblegum!'

The Bubblegum Caves were situated at the base of Plastic Beach, tucked away behind the Can-Opener inlet and covered by the Plastic Bag Dunes. The caves had been formed over thousands of years by the natural build-up of washed-away bubblegum. After parking their submarine in the garage, Murdoc and Cyborg Noodle had set out for the caves, armed with a rifle and explosives.

Crouching down at the entrance to the cave, Murdoc held up a finger to indicate silence. He cocked his head to one side. A faint slurping noise was issuing out from the sticky pink caverns. Murdoc climbed to his feet and cocked his rifle. Cyborg Noodle clutched a grenade tightly in its palm.

'It's go time!' Murdoc hissed, inching carefully into the caves. Cyborg Noodle silently followed.

At the far end of the caves they found what they were looking for. A ghostly black figure was hunched over the corpse of a large seagull. An insect-like sucker protruded from the black apparition's head and was sucking out the brains from the seagull's cracked skull. As it heard them approach, the creature abruptly looked up. Red eyes glared at the two intruders.

'Now!' Murdoc bellowed. Cyborg Noodle hurled the grenade at the Boogieman with all its might.

The Boogieman drew its cloak about itself as if in protection, before the grenade exploded and the caves were filled with blinding light and thick, black smoke. Murdoc felt something brush past him with a deathly cold whoosh of air, then the foul presence was gone.

'Don't let the Boogieman escape!' Murdoc shrieked, hugging the wall and screwing his eyes shut.

When the smoke had cleared, Murdoc staggered out of the caves after Cyborg Noodle. There was nothing to see. The Boogieman had fled. Murdoc blinked in the bright sunlight. He shook his head.

'I don't get it, Cy'. When me an' the Boogieman encountered each other last night, he ran away instead of confronting me. He did the same today. But I went back on the deal we made…'

'iT sEeMs,' Cyborg Noodle interrupted, 'tHaT tHe OnLy LoGiCaL eXpLaNaTiOn Is ThAt ThE bOoGiEmAn IsN't HeRe On PlAsTiC bEaCh To TaKe ReVeNgE oN yOu.'

Murdoc frowned. 'But if the Boogieman isn't here to take revenge on me… what's he doing on Plastic Beach?'


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR: RHINESTONE EYES

Noodle knew that time was running out. The sun was high and bright in the sky, and her stark, yellow inflatable boat was painfully visible. The three planes that had been tailing her the whole morning had been joined by two others. The planes were sleek and military, painted a camo green and decked out with machine guns. The words written on their sides appeared to indicate they were Chilean. Noodle knew that she had to somehow get rid of them. She didn't want the Chilean military getting to her friends on Plastic Beach.

Sweat rolled off Noodle's forehead. She threw down the oar in frustration. 'Tawagoto!' Noodle cursed. There was nothing for it. She'd have to face off with her pursuers. Whirling around to face the oncoming planes, she hoisted the AK-47 upright and let loose a volley.

Four of the planes parted to dodge the shells, but the fifth one's wing was clipped and it fell behind its companions. Noodle reloaded the gun and fired a second round, all without wasting a second. This time, the damaged plane was struck head-on. Smoke spurted from its nose, and the aircraft plummeted into the water. The resulting waves knocked Noodle's boat completely over.

The cold water struck her like a blow, while simultaneously the nearby wreckage of the army plane assailed her with waves of burning heat. Noodle frantically kicked to the surface, gasping with relief when her head cleared the quivering waves. Then she felt a hand close hard around her neck, and a voice hissed menacingly in her ear, 'Where's the package, girlie?'

'What package, sir?' Noodle spluttered, trying to play dumb. She realised with a jolt that the package was still in her rucksack, which itself was probably sinking to the bottom of the sea as she spoke. The words of the old sea captain came back to her. 'You fail to take that package to Plastic Beach, Noodle, and the world as we know it will be over…'

'Shattup, girl!' the fallen plane's pilot, dark skinned and decked out in khaki, growled in her ear. 'I know that you have that package, and I wants it! Now, I'm sure a nice lass like you…'

'Hiiii-yaaaah!' Noodle hollered, gifting the pilot with a hard uppercut, followed swiftly by a sharp right hook.

The pilot let go of Noodle's neck, and sank beneath the sea. But she wasn't out of trouble quite yet. The four remaining planes were circling in for an attack, and she had to find that package…Then she saw it: a brown rucksack, bobbing just beneath the surface. Her rucksack. Noodle kicked out to the bag, eagerly opening the top. The brown paper package was still inside, and it was barely damp.

Noodle's joy was short-lived, however. For she felt a new hand grip her neck, and a new voice whisper in her ear, 'Give me the package, girlie!' The pilot of the plane had a co-pilot!

Before Noodle could resist, the co-pilot reached over her shoulder and snatched up the package. He then removed his other hand from her neck, and Noodle felt a sharp pain in her arm. The corners of her vision began to go blurry, and her mind began to slow. The co-pilot's triumphant laughter seemed to come from several light-years away.

'Yyou…druuuug..ed me…' Noodle slurred her words, and began to slip beneath the waves.

The co-pilot gripped her arm. 'Whoa there, girl! We can't have you drowning on us now, there's still lots we need to know…'

Noodle heard no more.

The gargantuan, mutated individual that was powering its way through the ocean was beginning to pick up its pace. Its seagull passenger assumed this meant that the creature was nearing its destination. Far, far in the distance, the seagull could just make out a small black dot that could have been an island.

The thing motored past a large rock outcrop with the words 'PLASTIC BEACH- 500 KILOMETRES' hacked into it. The seagull blinked. The mysterious giant had nearly arrived…

2-D threw aside his oil-stained gloves and filthy overalls. After many hours of smoke-filled tinkering and many bruises, he'd finally completed the adjustments to the Jellyfish. Humming to himself, 2-D climbed into the cockpit of his bizarre vessel and swung the top shut. He could not wait to try out the Jellyfish and prove Murdoc wrong…

Wiping his stained hands on his jeans, 2-D cautiously reached out and pulled an important-looking lever. The engine gradually purred into life, the glowing outside plates of the craft vibrating gently to the rhythm. 2-D let out a sigh of relief. So far so good, he thought to himself. Scratching his unruly blue mop of hair, he gazed at the newly reconfigured navigational equipment in puzzlement. Maybe if I…2-D pondered, stretching his hand out towards a bulging blue button.

With a roar, the Jellyfish shot out of the garage and down the tunnel, smashing the tunnel gate to smithereens as it did so. The vessel streaked out of the tunnel and skimmed over the seabed, sending a shoal of tuna and a tiger shark fleeing for cover. Gripping the sides of his seat for dear life, 2-D pulled a second lever. To his relief, the Jellyfish slowed to a steady, ponderous pace. Chuckling in relief, he leant back in his seat.

'Murdoc will kill me for destroying the gate!' 2-D shook his head. 'But at least I know the Jellyfish can withstand that much force.' He stroked the metal sides of the craft lovingly. 'I knew you'd make me proud, old girl…or new girl, depending on how you look at it…'

All of a sudden, the submarine began to shake and judder violently. 2-D was thrown from his seat and straight into the porthole, the impact ripping two of his teeth right out of his gums. He desperately pulled several levers, causing the metal tentacles of the Jellyfish to spring open and rocket the craft upwards through the water. The submarine eventually reached the surface. 2-D threw open the top of his craft and stuck his head out.

The waves were swelling metres high, the breakers crashing against the shore of Plastic Beach and buffeting the windows of Murdoc Manor. 2-D shaded his eyes with one hand and peered into the distance at the source of all the water's wild movements. Something was heading through the sea for Plastic Beach. Something big…

'What the…?'

Noodle's dreams were bizarre and dark. She dreamt she was running through a black landscape, with shapeless, wraith-like forms in constant pursuit of her. She screamed, though no sound came out. Something grabbed her from behind and thrust its face into her own.

Her tormentor was an exact likeness of herself, down to everything except the eyes. The eyes were coal-black and completely emotionless, as well as being slightly shiny and flickering with a distinctly robotic light…

'Rid us of the Rhinestone Eyes…' a voice whispered to Noodle in her dreams. The voice was deep, but soft.

Then there was a flash of bright green light. She saw three glowing gems, set into a slab of smooth black marble. 'SUN MOON STARS…' the words echoed around and around in her head. Then she was falling, falling…

Noodle woke up with a jolt.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE: DONCAMATIC

Noodle attempted to move, but found that she was strapped down to a bench of some sort. She couldn't move her head, and all she could see from her position was a reinforced window with a view of a rapidly moving landscape. Noodle was confused for a few moments, before she comprehended that she was being held in one of the planes and it was moving, not the landscape. There was the distant buzz of voices speaking in what sounded like Spanish.

Noodle lay quietly, pondering her strange dream. She figured it must have been a warning or premonition of some kind. Eventually, a clear certainty instilled itself in her mind. She had to destroy the creature with Rhinestone Eyes that had assumed her form. But what is the other Noodle, and where should she find it?

All of a sudden, an ugly, flabby face appeared before her. Its piggy eyes glared at her, and the fat sausages of lips began to move and form words. With each word, spittle was sent raining down on her. Noodle winced. 'Awake at last, girlie?'

Noodle glared back silently. She reckoned that playing the hard case would be the best course of action at that moment. The ugly Chilean did not look impressed. 'Tell me, girl, who gave you that package? A lot of people have been helping to hide it from the authorities, you know. A lot of bad people. Look, you seem like you're a nice girl, so I'll be soft on you. Just tell me the people behind all this and you'll be let go.'

Noodle pondered this for a moment. 'I'll tell you, if you show me what was in the package.'

The ugly Chilean hesitated for a moment. He then called out in Spanish, and another ugly Chilean appeared. They had a brief muttered conversation, and then the first man gingerly undid the straps securing Noodle to the bench.

Noodle sat up and swung her feet over the edge, before getting cautiously to her feet. She decided that she wouldn't attack the guards just yet, as they currently had the advantage. Two more ugly Chileans sat at the front of the plane in the cockpit. The plane itself was a tip, with piles of junk shoved against the far wall. Noodle observed that her inflatable boat sat on top of one of the piles, half-concealing an archaic Doncamatic machine.

She turned her attention to her guards, as one of them had taken the brown paper package out of a fireproof satchel. The guard slowly reached inside the package and withdrew the contents. Noodle gasped. The guard held, in his podgy little hand, a fist-sized gem that glowed with a golden light. A second later, the guard had returned the gem to its casing. But Noodle had seen it long enough to know that it was one of the gems she had glimpsed in her dream.

'The gem is named Sun,' the second of the guards grunted, 'but I expect you know that already.'

'There are two others, aren't there?' Noodle asked slowly, as her mind began to piece together the clues. Sun Moon Stars. 'They do something when all three are put together, don't they? They make something happen…'

The guards glanced at each other. One quickly reached out and grabbed Noodle's arms, then made to push her back onto the bench. But at that moment, the plane began juddering violently, and the sound of machine gun fire reached their ears. Noodle glanced at the window, to see a flash of something dark and wraithlike flit by the window.

The guards' faces were drained of all colour. 'Our enemies have found us!'

Murdoc glared at the crude picture pinned to the wall that he'd drawn of the Boogieman. He then took careful aim and chucked the dart at the drawing. The dart's tip pierced the Boogieman's eye. He then felt a finger tap him hard on the shoulder. Murdoc spun around, his fist raised.

'Oh, it's jus' you, Cy',' Murdoc sighed, relaxing. 'A little tip for the next time: never try to sneak up on Murdoc Niccals if you value your life!'

Cyborg Noodle's shiny black eyes glittered. 'i HaVe No LiFe. At LeAsT, nOt As A hUmAn WoUlD sEe It.'

'Try me then, smartypants!' Murdoc growled, raising his fists.

Two seconds later, Murdoc was lying flat on his back on the floor. Wincing, he staggered to his feet. Cyborg Noodle made to grab his arm. 'aRe YoU aLl RiGhT, mAsTeR?'

'I'm fine,' Murdoc lied, wheezing as he clutched his bruised ribcage. 'You're okay, but still have a lot to learn at hand-to-hand combat…'

'Save your breath, meathead!' 2-D sniggered, slinking into Murdoc's study. 'Everyone knows that you can't fight. All you do is skulk in corners and glare at people with your freakish eyes.'

'They're not freakish!' Murdoc roared, punching 2-D hard in the stomach.

'I bet you got teased a lot at school, am I right?' a doubled-over 2-D remarked.

'You…'

'cAlM dOwN, mAsTeR. yOu MiGhT bReAk A bLoOd VeSsEl.'

'Oh shut up!'

'There's someone here to see you, Murdoc,' 2-D interrupted, walking back out into the corridor and pulling the red-eyed bully after him. 'Someone you know quite well…'

'Christ!' Murdoc breathed, hurrying after his companion. 'Noodle hasn't come back, has she?'

'You'll see, my red-eyed friend.'

Cyborg Noodle stood at the entrance to Murdoc's study, watching its two masters round the bend in the corridor and disappear from view. When it heard the front door click shut behind them, Cyborg Noodle walked back into the study, closing the door behind it. It then began to poke around Murdoc's desk and the file cabinets. One cabinet, a large blue monstrosity, was locked. Cyborg Noodle made to tear it open, before its memory hard drive recalled that there must be no evidence left of the robot's intrusion to Murdoc's private affairs. Cyborg Noodle picked up the dart from the floor and used the tip to pick the lock. The lock eventually fell away with a satisfying clunk.

Cyborg Noodle opened the cabinet and began sorting through the files that Murdoc had kept about the purchase of Plastic Beach. It eventually found a file detailing the history of the island and its previous owner, a Mr M. Nemo.

"Nemo had looked after the island for fifty-two years, after discovering it by chance on a yachting expedition and claiming ownership of it. Point Nemo, as the island was then known, was home to only Mr Nemo himself and his dog. Nemo had sold the island purportedly because he wanted to retire to the countryside before he died. His current whereabouts are unknown. The date that Plastic Beach was first formed is unknown, as Nemo was the first recorded person to ever land on the island. There have been no signs detected that there could have been earlier settlers on the island. Murdoc Niccals, current owner of Plastic Beach, has built a large mansion over the top of Nemo's original dwelling."

Cyborg Noodle pushed the file to one side. It was the last one. Cyborg Noodle put all the files back and fastened the lock back on the cabinet. No luck so far, it would have to try a new approach…

It was then that a warp in the floor beneath the desk caught the robot's attention for the first time. Cyborg Noodle bent over and discovered that in fact a floorboard could be removed. Tossing the plank to one side, it found that there was a small gap beneath the floor. Cyborg Noodle comprehended that this floor would have once been the roof or attic of Mr Nemo's old cottage. Within the hidden space was an old, leather-bound diary.

Cyborg Noodle picked the diary up and quickly scanned the contents. A few minutes later, it put the book down and sat silently for a long time. Suddenly, steam spurted from the robot's metal ears and sparks crackled about its synthetic hair.

'eRrOr 2567. iNfOrMaTiOn OvErLoAd. ReBoOtInG iN fIfTeEn MiNuTeSERROR 52525***/BACKING UP HARD DRIVE/ERROR35335&535/?\\'


End file.
